Dark Protectors: Provoked Part 2

"So?" He reached the truck and yanked open the door, both hands wrapping around her waist to lift her two feet into the cab. Like she weighed absolutely nothing.

A flutter that had nothing to do with the winter chill wandered through her. "You're strong."

He shrugged. "Strong enough. Scoot over."

Panic swooshed out her breath. "No. We can't leave them to die."

Exasperation rode his strong sigh. "Why the h.e.l.l not?"

So much for not swearing around her. "It's murder."

He glanced back at the quiet scene. "Not really." Examining Alex still lying on the ground, Kane c.o.c.ked his head. "I'd say it's more self-defense, and well, death by being a moron." He glanced up at her, and his lips tightened. "I don't think their plans for you were very honorable."

"Maybe not." Dread and relief at her escape from the two henchmen commingled through her. "But we're not leaving them here to die." Swinging toward Kane, she angled her legs to kick him in the chest. "Either help them, or I will."

More Latin spilled from him as he pivoted and stomped toward Alex, effortlessly lifting the unconscious man and carrying him to the truck. Shoving the front seat out of the way, he tossed Alex in the back. Seconds later Chuck landed on top of Alex. Kane pushed the seat back and jumped inside to slam the door, muttering as he put the truck in DRIVE.

Kane's strength was unreal. He wasn't even breathing hard.

Amber scooted to the far door. "You swearing in Latin some more?"

"Yes." He backed the truck down the empty road until reaching a turnaround. "I have a niece I try not to swear around. Latin used to work. Well, until she learned Latin." He frowned.

"How old is your niece?"

"Twenty." He rubbed his chin, the frown deepening. "Suddenly she's all grown up. Well, kind of. Twenty is still young. Too young."

"Too young for what?"

"To save the world."

So many thoughts zinged through Amber's head, she pressed her free palm to her eye. "Does your niece know that fact?"

"Know what?" Kane maneuvered the truck around a downed pine and back onto the main road.

"That she's supposed to save the world." Hopefully he didn't have some hapless woman imprisoned somewhere. How crazy was Kane?

"Sure. Janie gets visions." Kane flipped on the wipers to combat the beginning of another snowstorm. "But we're trying to make sure she doesn't end up in danger or with the world hanging on her shoulders-we're hoping to end the war soon."

"War?" Amber eyed the quiet forest outside the truck. If she jumped out, could she outrun him? "What war?"

Kane sighed. Again. "The war. Vampires, Kurjans, Demons . . . even the s.h.i.+fters. Please don't pretend you are unaware of the war. Your playing dumb insults us both."

Well, s.h.i.+t. She sure didn't want to insult the crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d. "Sorry."

"Apology accepted."

Sympathy for the poor niece, if she really existed, tightened Amber's shoulders. "So, this Janie. She's your real niece?"

"Sure." Kane leaned forward to peer into the darkening storm. "She's been my niece since she was four years old-what an amazing little kid she was. My brother adopted her when he saved his mate from the Kurjans."

Okay. Which word to tackle first? The most intriguing one. "Um, mate? Your brother has a mate."

"Yes. My brother Talen took Janie's mother as a mate. He was a bit overbearing at first, but you have to know Talen. His vision of the world is pretty set in stone. Though, to his credit, he found the right mate for him and everything worked out."

"Overbearing, huh? Hard to imagine." Kane spun quite the story-wasn't most genius close to madness? Poor guy. "Um, at the risk of insulting you again, what's a Kurjan?" Amber might as well get all the facts she could in order to inform the guys who'd want to put poor Kane in a straitjacket.

Slowly, deliberately, Kane turned his head to pin her with a hard look. "Stop it."

"Okay." Agreeing seemed wise. A few more minutes and they'd be back in town. She'd run for it the second he stopped. Her gaze caught on a water bottle peeking out from under the seat. "For goodness' sake. Why in the world would you buy bottled water?"

"Ah, I was thirsty?"

She shook her head. "So drink from a fountain. Do you know what that plastic does to the environment? You should care, darn it."

"I won't buy water in a bottle again."

"Thank you." The earth wasn't going to last if people failed to start taking care of her. A smart man like Kane, regardless of his insanity, should realize that fact.

He frowned, clearly puzzled.

"What?"

"I'm trying to figure out how to handle you," he said.

Her eyebrows rose until she could feel wrinkles. "Excuse me?"

He glanced back at the road. "Three of my brothers have mates, and they all handle their women differently. I was trying to figure out the best way to handle you because I've had enough of the games."

Fear wandered down her spine on the heels of irritation. "Your brothers hurt their, ah, mates?"

"No, of course not." He shrugged. "Though most often, a mate ends up over a shoulder heading elsewhere. I always thought brute strength a silly way to end an argument." His gaze raked over her. "Now I'm seeing the reasonableness of the act."

She cleared her throat. "They don't harm, their, ah, mates. Right?"

"Never." He shook his head. "A vampire would never harm a mate."

Oh, Mother Earth. He said vampire.

CHAPTER 3.

Kane drove the truck through the archway of the small town, his gaze on the snowy road, and his mind on the quiet woman in the pa.s.senger seat. She hadn't used her right hand since getting out of her car. What kind of a weapon did she hold? Probably not a gun, or she would've pointed it at the drunks trying to accost her.

Most likely she held a knife.

An odd choice, really, considering she must know he was a vampire. She'd have little chance of harming him. While she was a demon destroyer, a powerful mind warrior. . . she was still human. Still so very fragile.

The vulnerability she'd tried to hide in those stunning black eyes had stopped him cold. He'd even saved the two drunk morons who had planned to hurt her-an unnecessary and truly time-wasting act. But she'd asked, and he'd hurried to do her bidding.

What in the world was wrong with him?

He'd told Dage he could handle the mission. Talen would've just hog-tied the woman and dragged her home. Same with Conn, their other brother. But Kane had hoped to reason with her.

Why did she have to be so stunning? Beautiful enhanced women were a distraction. One he couldn't afford, even if the world hadn't gone to h.e.l.l. Two huge goals loomed before him. First and foremost, he needed to save Jase. Then he needed to cure a virus created to take out his loved ones.

But now, he needed to find patience and some sort of camaraderie with the woman. The sooner she made her move with the weapon, the sooner he could ill.u.s.trate there was no hope of escaping him. She needed to help, and she would.

He cleared his throat. "Where should I take the snoring drunks?"

She jumped, swinging her torso toward him, those pretty eyes wide. "Ah, good question. There's an all-night restaurant north of the bar-we can drop them off in the parking lot."

Her voice trembled and her shoulders stiffened.

Wonderful. She'd make her move at a public place. He shook his head. "Whatever you're planning won't work." It was only fair to give her warning. Maybe she'd heed the threat.

"I'm not planning anything."

Nope. The woman wasn't going to heed s.h.i.+t. "Is there a reason you won't help me?"

She picked at a loose thread on her jacket. "I don't believe you about the demons." Her lips quirked. "I'm sorry."

Oh. Well, that was an odd one. "Why not?"

"Demons don't exist." She scrunched up her face. "I mean, probably."

"You can trust me." While he understood the need to hide her gifts, he couldn't allow the subterfuge to continue. The sooner they got that unpleasant reality out of the way, the sooner she could help him find Jase.

"Sure. Yeah, you're totally trustworthy."

He turned west along darkened streets toward the bar. "The demons took my youngest brother hostage four years ago-and you of all people know what they've done to him." A rare rage heated in Kane's gut, and he shoved all emotion down.

"Me of all people?"

"Yes. As the only demon destroyer we've ever found, you must know what they can do. What they will do."

"Demon destroyer, huh?" She s.h.i.+fted in the seat. "You sure you have the right gal?"

His hands tightened on the wheel. "I'm sure."

"You poor, crazy man." She sighed. "How many brothers do you have?"

So, she was going to humor him. "I have four brothers-Jase is the youngest."

"Where do you fall in the lineup?" Her smile whispered sweetness.

"Smack-dab in the middle." He fit the middle child cliche to a T. The peacemaker, the brilliant one, the one in the middle. "When the first war intruded, and my older brother had to step up as king, we all fell into place. I'm his confidant when he needs logic and order. And a plan."

"Sounds lonely."

How odd. Kane narrowed his eyes, glancing at the woman. "No. We all do our jobs."

"What about when you don't want to be logical? What about when you're angry and want to hit something?" Streetlights from quiet storefronts glinted off her nearly white hair, turning her into an angel.

He shrugged. "That's an indulgence I can't allow. The king needs me logical, so I am."

"Maybe that's why you went a bit . . . off the track."

Good Lord. Was she back to that? "Stop playing with me, sweetheart. Logic can kick your b.u.t.t as quickly, if not more efficiently, than a good broadsword."

"Was that a threat?" Her posture went ramrod straight.

"Would a threat work?" he asked, an unwilling smile tingling his lips.

"No."

That's what he thought. Bright lights spilled from the all-night diner and cut through the softly falling snow like an invitation. He maneuvered the truck into the parking lot. Regret filled him as he grabbed Amber and hauled her across the seat. "We can't have you jumping out, now, can we?" He turned to shove Chuck in the shoulder. "Wake up."

Chuck groaned.

Good enough. Kane cut the engine. "They'll awaken soon and head inside. We need to get out of here." Jumping out, he kept a firm hand on the woman, even while helping her to the ground. What kind of a moron lifted his truck so high a lady needed a.s.sistance getting out?

Her boots scattered snow as she landed and then regained her balance. "Thanks." She kept her gaze on his chest.

"Sure." He shut the door and waited patiently for her to make a move.

She remained still. Snow billowed softly to coat her lovely hair. A small s.h.i.+ver racked her shoulders.

He peered down at her. "Amber?"

"Yes?"

"If you're going to attack with whatever's in your right hand, could you hurry it up? We need to get going."

She started, her gaze slas.h.i.+ng up to him. "How did you know?"

He shrugged. "What kind of a knife do you have?"

Her cheeks pinkened, and she drew her hand forward. "I have a pen."

A blue ballpoint pen. He blinked twice, his gaze on the harmless tool.

Maybe it was the ridiculousness of the pen. Maybe it was the woman's courage in planning to use it on him. Or maybe it was the sheepish half-smile she gave.